Underwater, Su Yu zipped through the river, powered by his Bibo Fishbone Skill.
Even with the complex underwater terrain and jagged rocks, he still moved with incredible speed and ease.
The Bibo Fishbone Skill had boosted his underwater abilities by a huge margin!
What's more, he was clearly "grinding" his Fishbone Skill much faster underwater.
[Skill Level +1]
[Skill Level +1]
...
[Martial Arts]: Bibo Fishbone Skill (Entry-level 15/100)
'If I can break through to the Skilled level, I wonder how much stronger the Fishbone Skill will become. At that point, I could probably even handle the torrents in the depths of the Black Water River!' Su Yu's anticipation for the Fishbone Skill grew.
Just then, a strange gleam of light flashed in the gloom ahead.
Su Yu's pupils contracted as he focused his gaze.
He saw a large fish, a full two feet long, swimming out from a crevice in the rocks. It was pure white, save for a single golden line along its spine that shone brilliantly, casting a golden glint in the dim water.
'Holy crap! A Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish!'
Su Yu's breath caught, and his heart began to pound.
The Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish was a rare variant of the White-Scaled Fish. Though not a treasure fish, it was worth far more than an ordinary one.
A fish like this was worth several taels of silver!
The Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish was extremely vigilant. Sensing a disturbance in the current, it slapped its tail fin and shot off like a streak of white light.
'Trying to run?'
In the past, Su Yu would never have been able to catch it, but now he had the Fishbone Skill!
Power surged from his spine. He executed a smooth turn in the water, instantly accelerating and latching onto the trail of that white light.
In a flash of pursuit and escape, the reefs and waterweeds on either side flew past like fleeting shadows.
A moment later, the white fish, seemingly cornered, suddenly dove into a patch of seaweed as dense as a wall, vanishing beneath a tall cliff that broke the water's surface.
Su Yu came to a quick stop and surfaced to take a deep breath.
'Is there a cave down there?'
The river water was bone-chillingly cold, and his body heat was rapidly draining away. But he paid it no mind, took a deep breath, and dove back under.
Parting the thick wall of seaweed, he revealed a wide, dark underwater cave entrance.
Su Yu gritted his teeth, and with a flick of his body, used a water-parting technique to slip inside like a loach.
After passing through a long, narrow, and oppressive underwater tunnel, the space suddenly opened up before him.
Su Yu burst out of the water, gasping for air as he surveyed his surroundings.
It was a natural grotto, half-submerged in water.
On either end were pools of water of unfathomable depth, and in the middle was a wide, dry stone platform large enough to hold dozens of people. High above, a sliver of daylight filtered down from a crack in the cliff face hundreds of feet up, allowing for air circulation and preventing any feeling of stuffiness.
'What a place!'
Su Yu climbed onto the stone platform, unable to hide his delight.
This place was incredibly well-hidden. With its entrance underwater, not even a god could find it unless they were an expert swimmer like him and specifically tracking something.
It was a perfect natural secret base!
SPLASH!
Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from the inner pool.
The Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish leaped from the water, tracing a golden arc through the air before crashing back down, sending up a huge spray.
'Is that the White-Scaled Fish?'
Su Yu re-entered the water and discovered that the inner and outer pools were connected at the bottom. The outer one led to the tunnel he came through, while the inner one seemed to extend deeper into the mountain.
Su Yu took another breath, then dove under and swam in the direction the White-Scaled Fish had disappeared.
To his surprise, the inner pool appeared to connect to a deeper subterranean river. Su Yu swam down several dozen feet, but it remained dark and mysterious, forcing him to turn back.
SPLASH!
Su Yu surfaced, panting heavily. 'This underwater passage is too long. I have no idea where it leads. I can't explore it to the end for now.'
'Maybe I'll have to wait until my Bibo Fishbone Skill reaches the next level before I try exploring it again.'
But Su Yu wasn't disappointed. Just discovering this place was a huge win. In the future, he could use it as a base.
Besides, since no one had been here for a long time, the White-Scaled Fish didn't seem very wary. It would most likely come back!
'I could try using a fishing net.'
Giving up on such a valuable White-Scaled Fish just like that wasn't the style of a seasoned fisherman.
Su Yu swam back out through the passage, returned to the shore to grab his fishing net, and then swam back again.
After lying in wait patiently for a long time, the White-Scaled Fish, tempting fate, finally returned. Su Yu immediately cast his net and trapped it inside.
THRASH, THRASH!
A fish of one pound has ten pounds of strength!
What's more, this Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish was a rare variant and even stronger. It struggled frantically in the net, churning the pool into a turbulent mess, and looked as if it was about to tear the net apart.
Su Yu wasn't about to let it succeed. He dove headfirst into the water.
The fish was exceptionally fierce in the water. With a flick of its tail, it actually created an undercurrent that slammed into Su Yu, making his chest feel tight.
"Wave-Piercing Stab!"
BANG!
A muffled explosion echoed through the water.
Using his fist as a weapon, Su Yu charged forward and struck its body.
The white fish writhed in pain, but it only grew more ferocious, ramming its huge head straight at Su Yu.
Man and fish battled in the pool.
Su Yu had to surface for air three times. Aided by the constraints of the net, he finally found an opening, executed a "Black Eel Coil," and locked onto the fish's body, dragging it onto the stone platform.
"Haha, exhilarating!"
Su Yu collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. He stared at the long, slender body of the White-Scaled Fish, white with a hint of gold, as if he were looking at a pile of shiny silver!
At least several taels of silver. Maybe enough to save up the ten taels for the master's fee directly!
'Thank goodness for the Bibo Fishbone Skill this time. If I had relied on my Net Casting Skill alone, I never would have caught such a big fish!'
At that moment, Su Yu felt a little grateful to the Qian Family. Although they had only taught him five moves, it had genuinely increased his combat prowess in the water. They hadn't fobbed him off with fakes!
After resting a while longer, some of his strength finally returned. Su Yu picked up a nearby rock and smashed it down hard on the White-Scaled Fish's silently gaping head.
THUD! THUD!
After several blows, once he was sure it was well and truly dead, Su Yu wasted no time. He wrapped it in the fishing net, left the cave, and returned to the shore.
By now, the setting sun was hovering just above the horizon, gradually retracting its threads of light from the water's surface.
A single, hazy ray of sunlight shone on Su Yu's face, reflecting the scene in his pupils.
His basket was stuffed to the brim with fish. The ones on top thrashed their tails, their shimmering scales vying to catch the last rays of twilight.
Su Yu hid the Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish at the very bottom and hurried toward the market.
...
「At the entrance to Qingxi Market.」
Unlike on other days, there were several more members of the Water Snake Gang present. Their usual laziness was gone, replaced by vigilant gazes that carefully scrutinized everyone coming and going.
Su Yu's expression was calm. He set his fish basket on the ground and deliberately pushed it a little closer to the men's feet, immediately releasing a wave of fishy stench.
"Sirs, I'm just heading in to sell my fish."
One of the gang members covered his nose and looked over the full basket of fish, casually prodding the river fish on top with a wooden stick.
Then he looked up and studied Su Yu closely. "I remember you. Been getting good hauls lately, have you? Stumbled on another school of fish?"
Su Yu's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive. He cupped his hands and said, "You jest, sir. I'm with the Qian Family Fishing Team. I just learned a couple of underwater tricks, so I've been a bit luckier, that's all."
"The Qian Family?"
A flicker of apprehension crossed the man's eyes. He nodded. "Thirty cents."
Wearing a pained expression, Su Yu slowly counted out thirty cents and handed them over. He then took the Token, hoisted the basket onto his back, and walked quickly into the market.
Only after melting into the bustling crowd did Su Yu finally breathe a small sigh of relief.
The Golden-Threaded White-Scaled Fish was too conspicuous. He had to find Third Uncle as soon as possible to ask about a buyer, preferably by selling it directly to a large restaurant.
He hurried along, passing through two sections of stalls and heading straight for the fish market.
But just as he neared the fish stalls, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and he stopped in his tracks!
In front of a fish stall, two Water Snake Gang members were collecting stall fees.
What sent ripples of alarm through him was the sight of those two members.
He had seen them before!
They were the same two men who had been acting suspiciously on the banks of the Black Water River.